Two foreign investors postpone trash projects<\/p>\n
Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Fearing further terrorist attacks after the Bali bombing
\ntragedy, two foreign investors have recently postponed their
\nplans to build garbage processing plants here with a total
\ninvestment of US$378 million, an official said on Thursday.<\/p>\n
\"Yes, we received their letters this week, stating that they
\nhad decided to postpone the projects due to the investment
\nsituation here after Bali bombing. They will review the projects
\nnext March,\" the city sanitation agency head Selamat Limbong told
\nreporters after a meeting with City Council Commission D for
\ndevelopment affairs.<\/p>\n
However, Selamat said the companies, PT Putra Bakti Mahkota
\nwith its American partner and PT Global Interindo with its
\nCanadian partner, are still committed to their plan to build the
\nplants.<\/p>\n
Earlier this month, he revealed that PT Putra and PT Global
\nwill start the construction of their plants in Marunda, North
\nJakarta and in Tegal Alur, West Jakarta respectively next month.<\/p>\n
PT Putra was to process 2,000 tons of garbage per day to make
\nethyl alcohol in its 30-hectare plant with an investment of
\nUS$360 million.<\/p>\n
PT Global is expected to process 1,000 tons of garbage per day
\nto make liquid and solid fertilizer in its 4.5-hectare plant with
\nan investment of US$18 million.<\/p>\n
Raw plastic will also be produced as a side product by both
\ncompanies. The construction of the plants was earlier planned to
\nbe completed in eight months.<\/p>\n
The operation of the two plants is expected to reduce the
\ncity's difficulties in disposing the 6,000 tons of garbage it
\nproduces daily.<\/p>\n
The city administration signed a memorandum of understanding
\nwith the two companies in March, this year.<\/p>\n
The administration earlier planned to build joint venture
\ncompanies with the investors by contributing land, while the
\ninvestors would invest money and technology.<\/p>\n
The garbage processing costs of the plants will reach Rp
\n53,000 per ton, compared to the processing costs of the city's
\nmain garbage dump in Bantar Gebang, Bekasi which reaches Rp
\n60,000 per ton.<\/p>\n
The postponement of the construction of the processing plants
\nmight stir fears of another garbage crisis as the city is also
\nfacing a problem with the Bantar Gebang garbage dump.<\/p>\n
The Bekasi municipality earlier threatened to close the dump
\ndue to continued environmental damage in the dump and surrounding
\nareas.<\/p>\n
The Bekasi municipality unilaterally closed the dump for a
\nweek in December, last year, causing a garbage crisis in which
\ntons of garbage could not be transported out of the city.<\/p>\n
After promising to pay Rp 14 billion in compensation, the
\nmunicipality allowed the city to use the Bantar Gebang dump
\nagain.<\/p>\n
Selamat rejected on Thursday the possibility of another
\ngarbage crisis due to the postponement of the construction of the
\ngarbage processing plants.<\/p>\n
He said the city would continue its cooperation with a private
\ncompany, PT Wira Golfindo, which owned a 25-hectare dump in
\nBojong Gede, Bogor, West Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The company uses a pressed ball system which processes 3,000
\ntons of garbage per day into compost fertilizer and it will start
\nits plant this year.<\/p>\n
Selamat also denied a possible closure of the Bantar Gebang
\ndump, saying that a team which consists of experts from the
\nUniversity of Indonesia and Empat Lima University (Unisma) Bekasi
\nis still evaluating the environment at the dump.<\/p>\n
\"We' re sure that we could still use the dump,\" he said.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/two-foreign-investors-postpone-trash-projects-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }